Just a Dream
by Darth Malleus
Summary: One Shot. In the dead of night, when her nightmares taunt and frighten her, he is there to shade her from her fears. Ishta/Gabriel.


_**Just a Dream**_

_Author:__ Darth Malleus_

_Beta:__ RJ Whakamol_

_Music:__ Rolling Star by Yui_

_Thought: _

_When you feel like you're drowning, I'll be there to pull you up._

------

_The light cut through the darkness, harsh and unforgiving, burning her eyes and forcing her to tightly shut them. She opened them just a little to give them time to adapt to the sudden change. Before her sat the council of Seers, a group of the strongest and wisest seers in all of Ulthwe, she had been summoned here by them._

"_Ishta Taldeer, daughter of Farseer Taldeer" one began, she couldn't place the voice._

"_You have come as we have asked" she narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully pressing down her emotions and throwing up mind barriers._

"_Of course" she replied._

"_Now we can begin" another stated, as if she hadn't spoken at all._

"_You have done well"_

"_The information you have gathered on these Mon'Kiegh and their alien allies will be put to good use"_

"_You have indeed proven yourself worthy in the field"_

"_Your mother would be proud"_

_Ishta inclined her head respectfully, seeing even without sight their every thought and feeling, they wanted to see into her mind, some were not as interested in the report as they were in her. Something was out of place._

"_Because of your achievements we have seen fit to ascend you"_

_She found it difficult to hide her surprise, she had indeed expressed her wish to be accepted into the Path of the Seer, to follow in her late mother's steps and become one of those who could truly see. But that was four years ago, just before her taskforce had been ambushed by their Dark Kin, before she had been taken prisoner and used for bait, before Gabriel had rescued her and had negotiated her amnesty._

"_We have decided to forego the trials and ascend you to the rank of Farseer"_

_This time she could not hide her surprise "I…I am honoured…sires. But I do not feel that I am ready"_

"_You are"_

"_But we are troubled"_

"_Your time among them has been long"_

"_And it appears that you have been swayed by them"_

_She looked up and suddenly felt her stomach sink. This was the 'something which was out of place'. It was not a debriefing, not at all. It was an interrogation._

"_I assure you that my time away has not dimmed my loyalties"_

"_Your voice says this"_

"_Yet your mind says another"_

_She stopped and felt a sudden pressure upon her mind, it grew heavier and heavier, threatening the barriers to the deepest recesses of her memories. She tried to resist, subtly tried to strengthen the shield, but it was all in vain. The barrier broke and all of her memories flooded from her, they saw everything which happened to her in the past four years._

_They saw her capture by the Dark Kin. They saw the battle of Scorpio. They saw Alana, twelve years old again and huddled in a small ball in a corner, terrified. They saw Gabriel save them. They saw the Alliance, Admiral Joseph Halos, and Inquisitor Vallace. They saw her first sparring match against Gabriel, her mixed feelings towards him. They saw the battle against the Tyranid swarm, and her first fight side by side with the Jedi. They were intrigued._

_But they moved forward. Saw her visit to the Mon'Kiegh throne world. Their encounter with the former Jedi master and Sith lord, Revan, the battle of Kinon and their fight against the Night Lord Sorcerers. _

_They saw her held in midair, wounded, hurt, and immobile. They saw her thrown to her death. She would have died if he hadn't caught her. They saw Gabriel jump for her, catch her, they saw her call his name and him reassuring her._

"_I'm here Ishta, I'm here"_

_Then they saw her feelings for him, her memories of them after and the entire chamber seemed to explode in fire sent down from the bloody handed god himself. Their outrage filled her mind like a tidal wave of powerful and barely controlled emotion. _

"_You feel in love with a Mon'Kiegh"_

"_A lesser being"_

"_This is unforgivable"_

"_It is unheard off"_

"_Your time among them has made you weak"_

"_It has clouded your judgement"_

"_You are unfit to be called Eldar"_

"_I am an Eldar!" she replied, hiding her hurt at their words "I am still loyal to Ulthwe, I am still a warrior of this Craftworld!"_

"_If so then would you kill this human who has clouded your mind?"_

"_Would you kill the child you bear?"_

_She opened her mouth to reply, but the words refused to come. Even in the depths of her mind she could not summon the slightest bit of contempt for him or the baby nestled in her. She closed her mouth and looked at the wraithbone floor, a single word leaving her mind, firm and final._

_No!_

"_Then you give us little choice" they rose in unison, looking upon her with glowing, merciless eyes._

"_You may keep the title we have bestowed"_

"_But you are hereby excommunicated from the Craftworld of Ulthwe"_

"_Leave and never return"_

"_If you do then your life will be forfeit"_

"_Disgrace"_

"_Shame"_

"_Leave!"_

"_Get out!"_

Her eyes opened to be greeted with a smooth white ceiling. That dream again. That event had replayed itself in her mind since it happened. Now it was invading her dreams too. She sat up in bed, ignoring the sheets as they slid to her hips, showing her bare chest and flat stomach.

She placed her hand to her forehead, the words of the seer council still echoing through her mind, threatening to bring her down to the depths of despair. It had been nearly four years and their words still bit her like a poison. An Eldar exiled was considered a lost cause, not even worth a thought, no better than the Dark Kin.

She tilted her head, brushing away strands of her milky white hair to see Gabriel sleeping beside her, his face half hidden under the white sheets of their bed. A few rooms away she felt the tiny presences, asleep. Good, she did not want to wake them, when they felt her anxiety they got worried.

She fell back into bed and lay on her side, her back to Gabriel, her mind troubled, saddened, racing as fast as lightspeed. Then she felt a rustle, hands embrace her and draw her to him. He snuggled her, lightly kissing the soft scented skin of her neck. She relaxed into his embrace, accepting his affection and letting his love for her melt her fear and anxiety away.

"They were fools"

She turned her head to look into his eyes, strong, unwavering and completely focused on her.

"I will never betray you Ishta, I will never leave your side" his eyes showed no lie "I am here for you, only you"

She quirked an eyebrow, and he smiled, "Okay, okay, you and those two"

She gave him a sincere smile which she only showed to him. Her slender hand came up and gripped his arm, giving her comfort. The Jedi had taken her in when Ulthwe had abandoned her, given her a purpose again. Gabriel had never left her side, he had been there when she felt the darkness of despair threaten to drag her under and she thanked Isha, goddess of the harvest that she had met him.

"Can't sleep?"

She nodded.

"Those dreams again?"

Another nod

She felt warmth soar through her and turned her head again to see him, his eyes closed and concentrating before they opened again. "Sleep my love" he cooed, affectionately wiping a few strands of hair from her porcelain face, summoning the force to create a barrier against the warp. "I'll keep the nightmares at bay"

"Thank you" she breathed before letting sleep take her again.

_**This one shot is mostly based on Ishta and Gabriel, and will hopefully explain a few things I left out of the main story. They were some of my first OC's and, hopefully, this will clear things up a wee bit.**_

_**The story is a joint operation between myself and RJ Whakamol, I thank him for doing the Beta for this and hope that you will all give him your full support in his future endeavours. **_


End file.
